Let Them Hate Us, So Long As They Fear Us
by JRCash
Summary: Emperor Hux has seized power, finally achieving his goal of total galactic control. Along with his beautiful Empress by his side, he thought nothing could stand in their way. A young girl working aboard the Emperor's ship gets a rare peek into the life of nobility, something she might come to regret. [Smut/NSFW warning for Chapter 3] [ON HOLD INDEFINITELY]
1. Chapter 1

_**Let them hate us, so long as they fear us.**_

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters, locations or events from it . The Empress and Elara are characters of my own creation. I do not profit from this in any way, shape or form._

 _ **Author's note:**_ _This is a bit different than what I normally write about (Sorry Han and Leia, I felt the pull to the dark side because of a certain space ginger and I can't help myself)._

 _Reviews always welcome :)_

* * *

Elara DuSat knew no more about the Empress than anyone else on the ship did, her knowledge of her coming from holos she had seen of her, always standing quietly and stoically behind her husband, Emperor Hux, as he delivered speeches or attened formal events. Very little was known about her to most personnel that worked aboard the ship, aside from a short official Order biography that was publicized before she wed the Emperor a year ago. The mystery that surrounded her lead to many rumors and whispers about her in the mess halls, always in hushed tones in fear of a superior officer, or worse, the Emperor himself overhearing. It was a known fact that Emperor Hux was very protective of his wife. One popular rumor stated that a man was once caught saying lewd comments about her and he was never heard from again. Some say he was shipped off to a work camp on the outer rim, others claim Hux personally shoved him into an airlock before hitting the depressurization button.

Elara minded her own business, keeping out of the drama and rumors that occupied most of the staff's free time, rather concentrating on her daily duties. She came from a working class family on Arkanis, her father an Imperial mechanic who was often sent off world on jobs, leaving her mother to raise her brother and her alone for long stretches of time while he was gone on orders. As a child, she would help her mother in the kitchen, picking up skills that as a young adult paid off when her father alerted her to a baking position aboard the Emperor's star destroyer. She jumped at the opportunity, long dreaming of going to school for her trade, knowing her family was unable to afford such a luxury of a higher education for her. The job provided her with a foot in a door she otherwise would have never gotten and a glimpse into a world that she otherwise never known. She dreamed of one day getting a promotion beyond the menial tasks she was usually assigned to, biding her time and cutting her teeth in the industry. Her mind often wandered as she washed the endless stacks of baking trays, glancing over her shoulder to watch the higher up bakers frost lavish cakes or pull steaming loaves of herbed breads from the ovens, wishing one day she could be in their position, creating her own confections that would be served at the Emperor's lavish parties.

Finishing the last stack of dirty dishes Elara was instructed to wash for the day, she reached down into the dirty, soapy water and pulled the drain stopper to empty the sink. Watching the water level fall and swirl down the drain, she wiped her hands dry in her apron, a dull ache in her shoulders from a long day of lifting heavy pans in and out of the sink, scrubbing away the baked on bits and sticky residue from sugary pastries. She was usually the last to leave the kitchen, the normal flurry of activity of the room now quiet as she walked around, checking that machines were cleaned and stored properly for the night. Brushing a few errant crumbs from a counter top, she decided the kitchen was clean enough for the night. Pulling the strings of the apron around her hips, she removed the soiled item and tossed it into the hamper before stepping out the door, palming the lights off behind her. Ready to head back to her quarters for a quiet night of relaxation, she hardly had expected to be greeted immediately upon leaving the kitchen by none other than the Empress herself.

Elara was stunned, never having seen the Empress so close in person, let alone anywhere near the levels of the ship the kitchen were housed on. The Empress' long dark chestnut hair hung down her back in loose curls that shone in artificial lighting of the hallway. She was dressed in a jet black gown that was adorned with an overlay of delicate lace, the onyx coloring a stark contrast to her pale milky skin. Winged eyeliner rimmed her emerald eyes, her lips painted a dewy rose color that made them appear as though she had just been kissed. Young and beautiful, the Empress exuded a presence that could not be denied that was one of power.

"Good evening, Empress" Elara quickly bowed as gracefully as she could, hardly wishing to make a poor impression as she lowered her head and averted her eyes as she had been taught to do in the presence of any higher ranking official aboard the ship.

"At ease" the Empress responded, her voice surprisingly soft even while speaking formally. The dismissal allowed Elara to stand up straight, folding her hands politely in front of her.

Elara couldn't recall if she had ever even heard the Empress speak before in any of the holos she had seen of her. She was quiet and reserved, usually two steps behind her husband whenever in public, standing politely and patiently as he conducted political business.

"You are Elara DuSat, am I correct?" the Empress asked.

"I am, Empress".

"Please, come along" the Empress instructed as she turned and began down the hall, the black lace train of her dress trailing behind her, almost floating as it skimmed along the dark gray floors of the ship.

Elara stood frozen for a moment, her mind stunned to the fact that the Empress wished for her to follow. She was already a few paces ahead as Elara's body connected the fact that she was still standing in one spot, snapping to attention as her feet quickly skipped a few steps to catch up to her, hardly wishing to anger the Empress by dawdling behind like a disobedient child.

After following her in silence down what seemed an endless maze of hallways aboard the ship Elara hadn't even known existed, the Empress finally stopped in front of an unmarked durasteel door. She raised her palm to the reader, her pale skin a stark contrast to the cold metallic of the walls. The door opened, revealing what appeared to be the Empress' personal office. Elara's breath hitched in her chest as she stepped into the room, wondering why she was brought here. _Am I in trouble?_ Her mind raced, trying to come up with any wrongdoing she might have committed, ending in nothing but unanswered questions of what the Empress could possibly want from her. She glanced around the room, her body stiff with fear as she took in her surroundings. The room was decorated in cold blacks and grays, everything looked expensive and orderly, no touches of warmth or personality to be found anywhere in the room. Sleek glass shelving lined one wall, sparsely filled with the occasional grouping of books. A large window encompassed the far wall, looking out into the blackness of space, distant stars twinkling slowly. A large desk was positioned in the center of the room with two gray chairs placed neatly in front of it. The Empress made her way around the desk to take a seat in her own chair, one that was larger and much more comfortable looking than the rigid ones that were placed for guests.

"Please, sit" the Empress instructed. Elara immediately obeyed, sitting down on the edge of the chair, her body still tense with fear of her surroundings.

"Would you like some caf?" The Empress asked, her voice no longer as authoritative as before. It almost bordered on friendly sounding, which scared Elara even more.

"No, no thank you" Elara managed to stammer. She hardly wanted to be a bother to the Empress, her fingers fidgeting in her lap as they worked a loose thread from her skirt, trying to find any sense of calm in the moment.

"You look nervous, dear" the Empress chided gently "Don't be".

Elara swallowed, her throat dry. Unable to come up with a response, she silently nodded her head in compliance, feeling silly as she did so. She had never been more nervous or scared in her entire life.

The Empress noted Elara's still stiff posture in her chair, hoping she would ease eventually once she knew why she was here. She almost pitied the poor girl that her very presence could have such a terrifying effect on her. She relaxed back in her own seat, crossing her legs as she did so. "I called you here to ask a favor of you. As I'm sure you know, the Emperor's birthday is next week. You are from Arkanis, correct?"

"Yes" Elara managed to splutter in response, wondering what exactly the Empress was getting at with her question. She knew that Emperor Hux hailed from the same home world as she did, granted from very different upbringing than her own.

"Then you are familiar with cheffa cake?"

"Yes, Empress". While Elara had only tasted the cake personally once, she knew cheffa cake was one of Arkanis' most famous desserts, one that took hours to prepare and was only reserved for grand occasions due to the intricacies of making one. The thin layers of cake were separated by a cream filling, often nearing a hundred layers gently placed one by one on top each other to complete the cake. After meticulously layering together the cake and cream filling, the desert was soaked in a caf liquor and covered with a thin glaze of ganache.

"It is the Emperor's favorite. He has been hinting at it for weeks and I was hoping to surprise him at his celebration with a treat from his home world".

"That would be a wonderful gift to him, Empress" Elara replied, silently amused at the thought of the strict, collected Emperor hinting at his wife for such a decadent treat like a child. She began to relax some, realizing that the Empress was not as threatening as she once thought and that she was not in trouble for anything, instead a rare opportunity presenting itself to her. "I will gladly make the Emperor a chaffa cake".

"Much appreciated. Speak to no one of this, I wish for it to remain a surprise, understood?"

"Yes, Empress".

"You are dismissed".

Elara rose from her chair, bowing towards the Empress before turning to leave the room. As she walked thru the maze of hallways of the ship, trying to figure her way back to her quarters, reality sinking in. _I'm going to be making the Emperor chaffa cake...how in the seven hells is this not a dream?_


	2. Chapter 2

Elara had gotten to the kitchens early the day of the Emperor's celebration, before any other staff had even woken up yet. She was still sleepy herself, running mostly on excitement and the quick cup of caf she managed to drink before arriving. It was peaceful as she walked around the room, switching the ovens on before turning to a large island and began pulling out tubs of ingredients from a shelf below, setting them on top of the work space. Humming a song from her childhood, she began measuring out the dry ingredients into a large metal bowl, too lost in the hours of work she had before her to notice the Empress entering the kitchen.

"Good morning, Elara".

Elara jumped at the sound of the Empress' voice, dropping the measuring cup she was holding, a loud clang of the metal cup hitting the counter echoing thru the silent kitchen.

"Empress!" She quickly bowed, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of pink in embarrassment having been caught humming to herself.

"I'm sorry if I startled you. I wanted to extend the invitation to you personally to attend tonight's celebration as a thank you for all the work you are doing. I'm sorry it's such short notice, but I do hope you will attend".

"Of course. Thank you Empress".

"I will let you get back to work" the Empress smiled, a gesture that caught Elara off guard, having never seen her do such a thing. She watched in a stunned silence as the Empress turned and left the kitchen, still in shock that she was invited to the gathering. Her stomach flipped as she began to process the invitation. _What am I going to wear?_ Her mind raced, mentally searching her closet wondering if she even owned anything fit to wear to such an event, knowing already she didn't. The excitement of the invitation quickly faded as she now felt stupid and small, loosing herself in her work as she tried to forget about it all. While she could daydream about being as pretty and posed as the Empress, reality would always be she was nothing more than normal girl who caught a bit of luck. _For all I know, the Emperor will hate this and I'll forever be known as the stupid girl who ruined his birthday._

She began cracking eggs into the large mixing bowl, tossing the shells to the trash bin, each one a bit more forcefully. Her mind could not shake the Empress, her thoughts wandering in ten different directions at once. _Why does she want me at this event anyways, she knows I don't belong there...How does she look so put together so early in the morning?_ _Does she sleep? Does the Emperor require her to always look so perfect?_ The little she had seen of Emperor Hux, he always had the same cold, distant expression on his face. Elara wondered if he was that way towards his wife, the man hardly seemed like he was capable of love or affection. The Empress, beyond her dark gowns and posed stature, seemed like she was a caring woman, even if her title made her presence frightening. Her gentle smile eluded to a certain softness about her, a rare peek at who she was beyond the perception everyone seemed to have about her that she was as cold and heartless as her husband. _Does she get the Emperor to smile? Does he laugh with her? Or does she always remain quiet around him even behind closed doors, hiding away her true personality for the sake of his career?_

A puff of flour from the mixing bowl snapped her thoughts back to reality as she quickly turned the mixer off, realizing she had not been paying attention once so ever to her work. She picked up a spatula and began scraping down the sides of the bowl, pushing the errant flour into the batter before tipping it into the rows of pans she had already lined up on a nearby counter top.

* * *

Hours had passed as Elara continued to work on the cake, hardly pausing as she layered the creation together, repeating the motion of spreading each layer of cake with the fluffy cream what seemed, by the end of it all, a million times. Stepping back, she checked to ensure it was even, the last thing she wanted was the Emperor to be presented with a lopsided cake. Nodding that it was as close to perfect as she was going to get it, she wiped her hands clean against her apron and sat down on a nearby stool, the exhaustion of the day's work catching up to her. Glancing at the chrono on the wall, she noticed that most of the afternoon was over. She hopped back off the stool, realizing she still needed to allow time to clean up and get herself ready for the celebration, no time left for rest now.

Making her way back to her quarters, she palmed opened her door with a weary hand, hoping a hot shower and another mug of caf would wake her up some for the evening. She stepped into her humble room, furnished with nothing more than a table and chair near a door that led to the refresher and a narrow bed tucked in the corner. Immediately, she noticed the long package set upon her bed, wrapped in plain brown paper and a small envelope affixed to the top of it. Elara reached for the envelope, turning it over in her hand to break the wax seal pressed onto the back of it, noting it was the official emblem of the Order. Pulling out a small note card, she began to read the scrolling penmanship across it.

 _Elara,_

 _Enclosed is an official invitation that will grant you access to tonight's festivities. The troopers should give you no problems, as I ensured personally you had been added to the guest list. Also, please accept this gift as a token of appreciation from me._

 _-Empress Hux_

Setting the card aside, she began to rip away the brown paper and lifted the top of the box, the official invitation to the event resting on top of a tissue paper wrapped item. She removed the invitation, placing it along with the Empress' note before pulling back the tissue paper, revealing a neatly folded dress. Gently, Elara lifted the gown from the box, letting it unfurl, taking in the sapphire colored silk garment. She had never seen a gown so beautiful, let alone ever been in possession of such an article of clothing. Stunned, she could hardly believe the Empress had sent her such a gift.

* * *

Standing in front a large mirror in their private quarters, the Empress fastened her diamond earrings, the last bit of getting ready for the celebration now complete. She felt her husband's presence behind her, his reflection in the mirror joining hers. His uniform was freshly pressed, his boots polished to a sparkling gleam, the only item missing was his great coat that normally hung regally from his shoulders.

"You look beautiful" Emperor Hux whispered against his wife's ear as he stepped close against her back, his ice blue eyes transfixed on her reflection. His hands ran down her sides, his fingers tracing her curves against the deep purple silk of her dress.

She turned in his hands to face him. "You are quite handsome yourself tonight". Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her fingers playing with a few loose ginger stands of his hair along the back of his neck that had worked their way free of his slicked hairstyle. Her lips grazed his as she whispered against them. "But you are always the most handsome man in the whole galaxy". Without giving him a moment to respond, she kissed him, his grasp on her sides tightening as he pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss.

"Keep that up, my love, and we'll never get to the party" the Emperor breathed to her as a roughish grin crossed his face.

The Empress laughed as she loosened her arms around him, resting her fingertips against his shoulders, the stiff fabric of his uniform beneath them. "I think a lot of people would be disappointed if the birthday man himself failed to show up to his own party". Pecking one last kiss on his cheek, she added "You'll get more of me later".

"Promise, my love?" He asked, not willing to let her go just yet.

"Promise".

* * *

Elara smoothed her hand against the skirt of the elegant gown as she approached the two stormtroopers that guarded the doorway that lead to the great room in which the celebration was being held.

"State your name and present your invention" one of the troopers ordered to her.

"Elara DuSat" she stated as she passed the invitation to the stormtrooper, an uneasiness falling over her as she looked towards the two masked men, the one studying the card before looking back at her.

"You are clear to enter" he commanded.

The great room was already full of people, none of which Elara recognized, for they all were high ranking officials of the Order. Men in pressed uniforms stood casually in small groups, holding glasses of dark amber liquors as they carried on conversations among themselves. Woman passed by her in elegant evening gowns, every elaborate and fashionable style she could have imagined existing in the galaxy adorning them, accented in jewelry that cost more than her yearly credit salary. She suddenly felt incredibly out of place, overwhelmed and in completely over her head in the company of some of the galaxies' most powerful and elite. A server droid making his rounds stopped near her, a tray of wine glasses extended towards her.

"A drink, miss?" the droid asked.

"Thank you" Elara graciously accepted as she took a glass from the tray, hoping a bit of wine might calm her nerves some.

A hush fell over the crowd as they focused towards the large table that was at the head of room. Emperor Hux made his way into the room first, dressed in his uniform, his great coat resting against his shoulders, the length of it fluttering behind him as walked towards the main seat in the middle of the table. Close behind him, the Empress followed, her chestnut hair pinned away from her face, falling gracefully down her back in waves against the deep violet silk of her evening gown. The crowd was silent as all eyes watched the Emperor pull out a chair for his wife, allowing her to sit, him remaining standing next to her. Elara held her breath as the remaining highest ranking officers of the Order filled in the remaining seats at the head table. The Emperor broke the silence, his voice clear and precise as he began speaking, quickly thanking all in attendance for their loyalty to the Order. One he sat himself, the rest of the room began to mingle towards the tables and chairs set up around the room, everyone seeming to know where to go automatically. Elara looked around in confusion, not sure where she should go, having never attended such a function before.

Elara finally found her place at table towards the back of the room, sitting down and looking around to the other guests that had been seated alongside of her. While many of them wore uniforms, they were not nearly as decorated as other in attendance who were seated closer to the Emperor's table. They all chatted among themselves, hardly taking notice to her as dinner was served to them. Elara ate in silence, listening to the conversation around her, lost on what they were even speaking about, topics that were not remotely close to any of her interests. After the last course of plates were cleared, she noticed couples began to get up from the tables, the mood of the room relaxing a bit as music began to float thru the space. She watched as couples began to take to the large space in the middle of the room that had been reserved as a dance floor. Another server droid passed by, offering a glass of wine to her in the same manner as before. Taking a sip from a fresh glass, she watched as the uniformed men on the dance floor bowed politely to their dance partners, taking their hands as they moved in step to the music, parting to make way as the Emperor lead the Empress onto the floor as the next song began. He guided her gracefully, a small smile curling at the edge of her lips as they moved in elegant circles around the floor. There was no change in the Emperor's expression, despite the Empress' smile at him.

The feeling of uneasiness still sat heavy in Elara's stomach as she sat alone, watching the evening's events unfold in front of her, feeling less and less welcomed as the night went on. No one asked for her to join them in a dance, let alone even stopping to strike up a conversation with to her. Feeling invisible, she decided to step away from the celebration to collect herself. Elara made her way thru the crowd, finding her way thru a side door and into a silent hallway. Grasping the stem of her wine glass, she leaned against the wall, thankful to had found a moment of solitude away from the party. Letting out a deep sigh, she stared down into the white wine that was left in her glass. She felt so out of place, contemplating finishing the wine in a single gulp and finding her way back to her quarters. While the Empress' invitation was a nice gesture, she didn't want to go back into the celebration. _No one actually wants me there, I'm just someone who doesn't belong in there. I just knew how to bake a dessert, not how to interact at an event such as this. No one has even spoken to me all evening, and why should they? I'm nobody._

A couple's laughter echoed down the empty hallway causing Elara to look up, noticing a man and woman in the distance. The dim lighting of the hall made it difficult to distinguish any features about them, figuring it was just some officer and his lady taking a break from dancing. Choosing to ignore them, she looked back down to her glass, rocking it gently in her hand as she watched the wine swish back and forth. _At least they are having a good time_ she mused to herself.

"Elara!" a woman's voice floated towards her.

She snapped her head up at her name, her eyes instantly growing large at who was approaching her.

The Emperor's hand rested gently against the small of the Empress' back as they walked side by side, stopping in front of her. She quickly bowed to both of them, still in shock not only that she had overheard them laughing together but the fact they were now standing in front of her. She looked upon the Emperor, slightly in awe that he was directly in front her. He stood rigid, his hand no longer resting against his wife, but sharply at his side. His expression was cold, any hint of laughter gone from it, his ice blue eyes seeming to pierce thru her.

"I'm glad we came across you, I see you like the gown I sent for you" the Empress stated.

"I do, Empress, it's truly beautiful, thank you" Elara replied, trying to find the right words to express her gratitude without coming off over eager in the presence of the couple.

"This is the girl who knew how to make cheffa cake!" The Empress explained to her husband.

"I would have never thought we had someone on staff who knew how to make anything from Arkanis" the Emperor cooley stated, his expression unchanged, not letting on any emotion one way or another if he had enjoyed his wife's surprise.

"I grew up on Arkanis. I hope you enjoyed it" she managed to squeak out, hoping it would somehow appease the Emperor enough to break his icy stare on her.

"Much appreciated" the Emperor replied, unfazed by anything she had just said. He glanced towards his wife, a silent gesture to her that he was ready to continue on his way.

"As you were" he waved his hand towards Elara. Quickly, she bowed once again, accepting the Emperor's dismissal of her as the couple departed down the hallway.

Elara did not return to the party, instead she walked thru the halls of the ship, making her way back to her quarters. She couldn't shake the thought of Emperor and the Empress together, laughing when they thought they were alone, the way he rested his hand against her so gently as they walked together. She felt as though she had witnessed something she shouldn't have, the most feared and merciless man in the galaxy enjoying himself with his wife. How quickly he snapped back into his usual intimidating demeanor once the Empress called out her name, how he seemed completely aloof and impassive as his wife excitedly explained to him who she was. _You're nobody, remember?_ She reminded herself as she stepped into her small quarters, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror on her wall. _Just a poor girl in a fancy dress_ she huffed. Her fingers slipped the gown over her head, setting it against the chair before she pulled a plain gray nightgown over her head. Climbing into her small bed, she pulled her faded quilt over her, the exhaustion from the long day finally catching up to her.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Smut warning!**_ _This chapter contains nudity, language and graphic sexual situations. You have been warned._

* * *

Emperor Hux had hardly been able to take his eyes off of his wife for most of the evening, her kisses before they had left for the celebration seemed to linger on his lips throughout the night. Stealing her away from the celebration to the small hallway, he had hoped to kiss her once again, safely away from the prying public eye. He let his guard down, allowing himself to laugh along with his wife, enjoying her company until she alerted him to the girl's presence.

The Emperor followed his wife as they entered into their private quarters. As much as he wanted to take his wife into his arms again the moment they were behind closed doors, he was still a man of order and routine. The Empress waited patiently as her husband moved thru his normal motions of coming home. She had memorized the steps his to routine long ago, watching as he went thru his motions. First, he would remove his great coat, fold in half and lay it against the back of the wing backed chair that sat near the entryway. Millicent, his orange tabby cat, was curled up in her usual spot on the cushion of the chair, Hux giving her a quick scratch behind her ear before slipping his boots off. Bending slightly to line them up, he made sure the toe tips touched evenly against the wall. Satisfied that their placement was correct, he looked towards his wife, a gentle smile crossing her face as he stepped close to her, his arms wrapping around her waist, finally able to hold her the way he had longed to all evening.

"You and your silly habits" she giggled.

"You know I like my life in order at all times" he reminded her as he kissed her forehead, drinking in her beauty, her body finally in his grasp.

"You could have been nicer to Elara. Probably scared the poor girl half to death" the Empress chided, breaking his focus on her with the abrupt change of subject.

"I'm not known to be _nice,_ my love. I didn't end up controlling the galaxy by being _nice_ to people" he chuckled, amused by the thought of even toning down the public persona he had upheld for so long even in the slightest.

Only his wife had ever seen the more relaxed side to him, something about her calm nature had brought it out of him, but only in the comfort in private quarters did he ever let it show. He still thrived on order, control, careful planning and dominance, upholding those values in every other aspect of his life outside of his marriage.

"Maybe nice wasn't the right word. A little more appreciative towards her perhaps" the Empress suggested.

"I appreciate everyone who puts effort into this ship and to the Order".

"Always so stoic, my dear husband". She ran her fingertips along his temple, pushing back a few strands of his ginger hair, tucking them behind his ear.

Hux's expression softened at his wife's touch. Deep down, he really did appreciate the fact his wife had remembered his hinting at his love of chaffa and how he had not had it since he was last on Arkanis. The fact she had remembered and had gone out of her way to find someone who had the skill to make such a rare desert made him appreciate Elara, even if he refused to admit that to her. He might be ruthless in his work and his position, rarely having sympathy or compassion in his duties or orders, but he was able to appreciate a thoughtful gesture.

Before the Empress had come into his life, Hux had thought little of love, or even involving himself with any emotional attachments to another person. Work was his priority, engrossing himself into it deeply. Years of training in the Academy and grooming from his father paid off quickly as he rose thru the ranks. He had little time for relationships, little interest in sitting idly attending to someone elses needs while he could better spend his time focused on what he had always considered his destiny in life- complete control of the Galaxy.

Then the Empress crossed his path. She was the daughter of a retired Navy Admiral, her family occasionally attending the same political and social events as he was in attendance to. At first, he tried his best to ignore his feelings about her, dismissing them as an unneeded distraction from more important matters in his life. As much as he would try to forget about her, he would often find himself lost in his own thoughts about her. The way her long hair fell around her shoulders, how her eyes would catch the light and sparkle in a way he didn't know was possible until he saw her. He soon was all consumed by her, unable to fight against his feelings any longer, always longing to see her again, even if it was only from across a room during a social engagement.

He fell even deeper for her when he finally had an opportunity to speak to her, finding it difficult for the first time in his life to find the right words. He could give speeches to thousands of troops without batting an eyelash, yet a simple conversation with her unnerved him like no other. He was spellbound by her, how she did not flinch at his presence the way most people did. She was not scared of him, not nervous in the slightest when he approached her. She respected him, if anything just a politeness to his title, showing the proper social graces as needed, but as he spent more time alone with her and the relationship between them blossomed, she made him relax, laugh, actually enjoy pleasure outside of work, a foreign concept to him until she came into his life.

"Come here, my love" Hux's finger rested under her chin, tilting her face closer towards his. He kissed her, his lips pressing against the softness of hers. The kiss deepened, his tongue slipping in her mouth, greeted by hers, the passion growing between them. His hands ran up her sides, tracing the curves of her body, the cool silk of her dress under his fingertips. Her arms rested around his neck, her grasp against him tightened as his hands began to wander over her breasts, her peaked nipples already hardening under the fabric of her gown.

Picking her up, the Empress giggled as her feet left the ground, her legs wrapping around Hux's waist as he began to carry her towards the bedroom, her lips peppering his neck with kisses, her teeth occasionally tugging at his earlobe playfully as he walked with her in his arms.

Laying her down gently on their bed, she looked like a goddess before him, her hair fanning out around her, her creamy skin seeming even paler than normal against the black bedding. He watched her chest rise and fall, her eyes focused on him as he stood at the edge of the bed. Never in a thousand standard years could he have imagined himself so enamored by someone. His fingers began undoing the fasteners to his shirt, making quick work of them, but the Empress was unwilling to wait patiently for him to finish with them. She sat up, shifting herself to her knees at the edge of the bed.

"Allow me" she whispered as her hands ran against his chest, undoing the remaining fasteners and pulling the fabric free from his waistband. She kissed against his neck as her hands slipped onto his exposed chest, pushing the shirt from his shoulders, his arms allowing it fall freely to the floor behind him before returning to her, his fingers running thru her hair. Her lips found his again, the kiss increasingly growing more passionate. The Empress trailed her fingertips down his side, tracing against his toned body lower and lower until she gently passed her palm against the growing hardness constrained in his pants. Letting out a small moan at her touch, Hux grasped her hair tighter, the kiss between them unceasing.

She stroked his length thru the fabric, wanting more of him as she began to undo his belt buckle and then unbuttoned his pants, slipping her hand into them. Finding him again, she stroked him, eliciting another moan from him as she firmly glided her hand up and down his length.

Breaking from the kiss, she nipped at his neck and then his collarbone, leaving a trail of kisses down his bare chest, her wrist never ceasing movement as she kissed his hipbones, teasing him as she was so close to where he really wanted her.

Hux let go of her for a moment, pushing his pants to his ankles, allowing himself to spring free of the confining clothing. The Empress took hold of him once again, wrapping her delicate hand around the base of him. Hux watched her intently as she ran her tongue against his length before wrapping her lips around the tip of him. He pushed her hair aside, allowing him a better view of her as she took him fully into her warm mouth, a sight he would never tire of seeing. Finding a rhythm, she worked him, bobbing up and down in fluid motions. His grasp tightened around her hair, pulling her back slightly.

"Look at me" he instructed to her.

She took his cue, slowing slightly as she pulled back from his length so only the tip of him rested against her outstretched tongue. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. Knowing he was intently watching her every move as she pleasured him, she traced her tongue around his tip, teasing him and causing him to moan in desperate need for her.

"Gods, you are beautiful" he managed to utter, wondering what he could have done right in his life to be lucky enough to end up with this woman as his wife.

Breaking her gaze from him, she took him fully back into her mouth, resuming her motions from before, closing her eyes again to concentrate on him. She was pushing him close to an edge he wasn't ready to go over yet, his breaths now heavy and ragged as he twisted his fingers tighter thru her auburn locks, trying to hold back.

"My love, please..." he begged, her motions on him slowing before she pulled away from him, kissing his stomach softly. She laid back onto the bed as he stepped from his pants before laying himself next to her. His lips pressed against hers, his hands desperate to touch every part of her, wanting pleasure her in the way she had just pleasured him. Running his hand up the inside of her bare thigh beneath her skirt, her legs parting for him as he passed his fingertips over her, he found her wetness, already soaking thru her thin lace underwear.

"So wet for me already" he groaned as he bit his lower lip in satisfaction. His fingers worked his way past the fabric, pressing against her slick folds, rubbing circles over her clit causing her to tip her head back in the pillows, contented moans escaping from her lips. His other hand pushed the silk of her dress up further up around her waist as he worked his fingers inside of her, causing her to grind her hips against his touch.

Shifting his weight, he released his touch from her, running his fingers down her legs, much to her dismay. He kissed her as she arched her back to reach the buttons on the back of her gown, undoing enough of them to allow him to easily pull the dress over her head and toss it aside. He cupped her now bare breasts, squeezing one in his palm as his mouth found its way to her other, sucking firmly on her peaked nipple. He kissed his way across her smooth stomach, hooking his fingers thru the edge of her underwear and pulling them down, her hips raising to allow herself to be freed from her last remaining article of clothing.

Hux pushed apart her legs in front of him, immediately kissing against the inside of her thighs, nipping at her smooth skin causing her to moan in between breaths. Pressing his mouth against her folds, he began working his tongue against her. He was a man possessed, her taste an intoxication to him. She ran her fingers thru his hair, grasping his cinnamon locks as she began to feel a fire build inside of her.

"Oh, gods" she whimpered in ecstasy, her legs weakening. He firmly pushed her thighs back apart, keeping her open to him, unwilling to stop until she was breathless from screaming out in pleasure.

Her whole body trembled, his mouth and tongue relentless again her as she felt the orgasm begin to rip thru her. His hands were firmly placed on her hips, holding her down, forcing her to face the complete wave of her own pleasure, unable to shift away from his assertiveness on her. She was panting as he finally released her, shifting himself above her. Barely able to see straight, she returned his kisses, tasting herself on his lips, dizzy as if she was drunk on pleasure.

Hardly wasting a moment, Hux pressed himself against her entrance, teasing her as he gently pushed against her wetness, longing to plunge himself deep inside of her.

"Please" she pleaded. She could feel him hovering against her, her breath heavy with desperation to be filled.

"Please what? You know I love to hear you say it" he commanded, moving his hips slightly so he brushed against her, taunting her with what she wanted.

"Please fuck me" she begged to him.

With his request fulfilled, he pushed himself into her with a long exhale of pleasure as her wetness enveloped him. Rocking his hips against hers, he soon found a steady rhythm. She held him tightly, her fingernails digging into his freckled shoulders as he pounded against her, her legs wrapping around him, allowing him to push deeper into her.

"That's my girl, take me like I know you can". His pace quickened to almost a frenzy, her mewls growing louder as he pounded into her forcefully. Sweat beaded along his forehead as he worked her, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath, too lost in the feeling of another orgasm building inside of her, the familiar ache growing stronger with each thrust.

Although he had control over her ecstasy in the position they were in, he wanted something else from her, his need for dominance too strong within him. Slowing his pace, his withdrew from her, her eyes begging him not to, for she was so close. Grasping hold of her hips, in one swift movement that took her by surprise, he rolled on to his back, the Empress now above him.

"You didn't think I would let you come so easy for me again, did you?" he asked with a slight smirk on his face.

"You are a tease" she breathed, knowing the game of power he liked to play with her.

Straddling him, she lowered herself onto him, a low moan escaping her lips as he entered her. She rested her palms against his chest to steady herself, her hips beginning to rock against him. Closing her eyes, she focused on her movements, tilting her head back as she found him hitting against the right spot inside of her to cause the familiar ache inside of her to return, this time stronger than before. His hands traced against her breasts, fondling them as she worked him, her hips beginning to pick up speed as she ground against him.

"Make yourself come for me" he ordered. He was entranced watching her ride him, working his length in long strides, her pace building. He loved how she moved against him, the way her lips parted in between her small exhales of breath, how she would bite her bottom lip when she was filled completely with him.

"Gods, you feel so good" she moaned as she leaned into his chest, kissing him gently. Her pace was quickening as she held onto him, him returning her kisses as she worked him. He could feel her tightening around him as he kissed against her neck, sucking at her skin, leaving a trail of pink marks. He reached towards her hips, resting his hands against them as he moved along with the motions of her body. He was loosing at his own game, his control rapidly slipping away.

"My love" he breathed as he lost himself in her emerald eyes "I'm not going to last much longer".

Swiveling her hips against him, he let out a low groan. She quickened her pace, her own body aching for release, tightening around him as she felt her own orgasm rip thru her, crying out in pleasure. No sooner than she toppled into hers, he released, spilling into her, his fingertips grasping her tightly. Collapsing onto his chest, she fought to catch her breath as he pushed her hair away from her face, kissing her gently on her forehead. Rolling to her side, she lay in the crook of his shoulder, his arm wrapping around her, holding onto her protectively, never wanting to let her go.


	4. Chapter 4

Lieutenant Mitaka stood near the doorway to the Emperor's office, nervously waiting for him to arrive. Knowing Hux was a man who always showed up to his duties on time, he was uneasy as he was left waiting longer than usual. _Perhaps the Emperor needed some extra time to recover from his celebration the evening before_ , Mitaka figured to himself as he finally heard Hux's familiar boot steps approaching from down the hall, 30 standard minutes later then normal.

The Emperor hated nothing more than running behind schedule, but he had lingered in bed just a little while longer than normal this morning. He had given into his wife's wishes for just a few more minutes of his company, hardly protesting as she sweetly kissed him as she lay in his arms. Forgoing his morning caf in order to get to his office in a somewhat timely fashion, his mood had soured after leaving her, now more so as he saw Mitaka waiting for him outside of his office already.

"Good morning, Emperor". Mitaka quickly bowed as he greeted Hux as the Emperor palmed open the door, the Lieutenant scampering behind him as he made way to his desk.

"What brings you here, Lieutenant?" Hux asked as he sat down, taking his data pad into hands and opening a file, hoping whatever Mitaka needed his attention for would be quick and he could be left to work in peace.

"I'm afraid we've picked up some concerning news from Arkanis overnight".

Hux rubbed his temple, wishing he had a cup of caf. _It's too early for this shit. "_ Go on" he requested to Mitaka as he set his data pad back down, knowing that this would not be a short meeting.

"From what we have gathered so far, a man named Kavis DuSat and a small militia of what we believe at the time, former Resistance fighters, carried out an attack against Order troops last night" Mitaka explained.

"Why did you wait until this morning to tell me this?" Hux snapped, causing Mitaka to falter for a moment.

"We did not wish to disturb you after your celebration. Plus we are still gathering information, reports are still coming in. Last night, we did not have all the information we do now" Mitaka sheepishly replied. He hardly wanted to be the bearer of bad news this morning, let alone interrupt the Emperor in his own personal time on his birthday.

"When my troops are attacked, I would like to know immediately from now on. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Emperor".

Looking up at the Lieutenant, Hux's expression was cold, but inside he was reeling. It had been too quiet, things had been running too smoothly, a sense of false comfort that the galaxy was at peace. He hadn't missed the constant turmoil of war or the tedious political power play of his takeover of the Order, sleepless nights of constant plotting, always trying to keep one step ahead of the opposition. Some small militia should be no issue getting rid of, taking it personally that someone dared attack his own troops.

* * *

Elara made her way to her shift in the kitchen much like any other morning, the evening before now just a memory as she returned to life as she knew it. Grabbing a clean apron from a hook on the wall, she wrapped it around her as she made her way to the sinks. She felt as though every pair of eyes in the room were on her. The other bakers paused their work as she walked past, some shooting her disapproving looks. Minding her own business, she began filling the sink with water, a large stack of dirty dishes already awaiting her to be cleaned. The normal flurry of morning activity resumed, the whirr of mixers and the chimes of oven timers going off covering the whispers between the staff behind her as she set to work.

A loud thud beside her pulled her attention from her forceful scrubbing of a particularly stubborn bread pan, causing her to snap her head up from her work, her eyes meeting an older woman's who now stood beside her. It was Nomi, the superior of the kitchens, with a scowl on her face as she glared at Elara. Nomi rarely spoke to Elara, other than the rare instruction to clean something or to fetch something from the supply room.

"You think you are special now?" Nomi hissed as she pushed the large stack of dirty sheet pans she had just slammed down on the counter towards Elara.

"No" Elara replied, shocked that at how harsh the woman's tone was with her.

"I've been baking for the Emperor since before he even was a General. Now I hear that he's being presented with elaborate cakes at his celebration. Funny part is, I don't remember making any of them"

"I just did as I was told".

"I don't remember giving you any permission that you could bake in this kitchen" Nomi hissed.

"The Empress asked me to" Elara meekly replied, knowing that no matter what she said, it would do little good. Whatever rumor had spread about her had already floated thru the staff already.

"You better watch yourself and get those delusions out of your head that the Empress would ask anything of someone like you. Mind your place around here, Elara".

"Yes, ma'am". Elara reached for the pan she had been attending to before being interrupted, pulling it from the soapy water, scrubbing it harder than she had before. Her cheeks felt hot, her eyes stung as she tried to hold back tears. No one one would believe her no matter how hard she could have tried to explain the situation to them. While she was making the chaffa cake, no one had interrupted her and no one else entered the kitchens other than her that day. She wondered if the Empress had somehow reassigned everyone elsewhere for the day to keep her secret safe, having the power to do so without questions from the staff. Somehow, someone had come up that something was going on. Knowing how rumors would spread about the ship like wildfire, often becoming so twisted hardly much truth was left in them, she wondered exactly was being said about her behind her back.

* * *

The Empress sat in a large wing backed chair in the lounge of her private quarters. Millicent had curled herself in her lap as she read a novel on her data pad. The orange tabby purred as the Empress scratched behind her ear. Setting her pad aside for a moment, she looked out the large window. Far away stars dimly twinkled, little specks of white light in the seemingly endless expanse of space. It was growing late in the evening, far past the normal time that Hux would usually return from his duties.

The Empress had enjoyed the fact her husband, up until this night, no longer had been working late hours, stuck in meetings or over stacks of reports until the wee hours of the morning like she had been so accustomed to him doing during the war. Never complaining, she let him work, knowing his nature of staying in his office until everything was completed, even if that meant going days without seeing him. She was one to not bother him, knowing that he was a focused and rigid man when it came to his duties, although she would worry about him. Often, when he would finally return to their quarters, dark rings set beneath his eyes, dozing off on whatever chair or couch he first sat down on, still in his uniform great coat and hat, too exhausted to even go thru his normal routine of removing them. Occasionally, she would send a server droid to his office with a mug of caf or a small meal, knowing he would often forgo eating anything in order to get just a bit more work done.

"Where is your father, Millie?" she asked to the cat still curled on her lap, letting out a small meow as the Empress stroked her orange fur "Hopefully not stuck working like he used to".

The door to their quarters whooshed open as Hux entered, a stack of paperwork under his arm, a sight that the Empress had not seen in some time. Millicent jumped from her lap, making her way to Hux, purring loudly as she wove around the Emperor's legs, hoping for attention from him as he set the papers down and removed his great coat.

"Bringing work home again are you?" The Empress chided as she made her way to her husband, his face tired as he greeted her.

"My love, I didn't want to stay in my office all night, but I have some matters to attend to" he replied as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her gently. "Unfortunately, this galaxy can't go long without someone causing trouble in it".

"Have you eaten?"

"Of course not, Mitaka was already waiting for me when I arrived this morning and I've been too distracted with things since then" he huffed, his mood clearly less than pleasant.

The Empress called for a droid to bring them dinner as Hux immediately set to work, spreading the papers and reports he had brought home with him across the low table in the lounge. Unrolling a large scroll, he studied it as the Empress set his dinner plate down near the corner of it, carefully avoiding actually covering any of the information he was focused on. She studied the scroll for a moment, noting it was a large map of the galaxy, covered in notations in her husband's stiff handwriting. It appeared to be from the war, former Resistance strongholds marked in red ink, positions of star destroyers and Order bases neatly labeled in black. It appeared to her he was working on some sort of military strategy, something she had not seen him do in quite some time.

Sitting back in her own chair, she began to eat her dinner in silence, watching Hux occasionally take a small bite of his food as he marked the paper further, scribbling out entire systems, no longer relevant to the map seeing that he had destroyed them himself.

Taking a bite of a herbed roll, the Empress savored it as she chewed. "This is delicious. I wonder if Elara made this".

"Why do you keep bringing up that girl?" Hux asked, glancing up from the map for a moment and looking towards his wife.

"I don't know. She was sweet".

"My love, she fulfilled the duties you asked of her. You don't need to go making friends with every commoner on this ship just because they do their jobs correctly" He shook his head and returned to his work, letting out a long sigh as he tried to process his next move, what strategy would be best to take out this annoyance that had sprung up.

The Empress finished what was left on her plate, noticing Hux had hardly taken more than a few forkfuls of his own meal. Studying him, she could tell he was in deep thought, the inner gears of his mind turning as they concocted some sort of plan. She never asked questions of what he was thinking, knowing that he was not one to take kindly to distractions for idle chit chat about his thoughts.

"You read that girl's file, correct? The baker one?" Hux asked, seemingly out of thin air.

"Of course, that's how I found she was from Arkanis" the Empress replied as she reached for his plate, stacking it on top of her own as she set them aside. The server droid would be back soon to collect them and she always hated when it would have to scurry around the room, fetching plates and glasses from wherever they were left behind.

"What was her last name?"

"DuSat, I believe" the Empress replied, not entirely sure if her answer was correct or not. When searching for someone to make chaffa cake, she was only looking for a common home world to her husband and baking experience, not at every precise fact about them. Elara just so happened to be the first person she came across that met both criteria.

Slamming his fist against the table causing a few papers to flutter to the ground, Hux stared at his wife, her emerald eyes widening with the abrupt outburst from him.

"Did her file say anything about known family?" Hux asked.

Not understanding what her husband was so enraged about or how Elara had anything to do with whatever he was working on, she reached for her data pad, flipping on the screen and going thru her history. Finding Elara's file again, she handed the pad to her husband.

"I only read part of it, saw that she had baking abilities and was from Arkanis before speaking to her directly".

Hux scrolled thru Elara's file, uninterested about any of the information about the girl until he reached the section that listed next of kin and any known family, information recorded in every Order employee's file in case of the need to notify them of illness or death.

 _Elara DuSat_

 _Homeworld: Arkanis_

 _Parents: Vhiran and Valea DuSat_

 _Any known additional kin: Kavis Dusat, brother_

Staring at the name, Hux tapped his foot in annoyance, reading over it a few more time to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

"That commoner's brother is the little shit that causing all my problems right now!" Hux threw the data pad onto the table and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple as he rested his elbow against the armrest.

"What exactly is going on?" The Empress asked, her husband clearly frustrated at his discovery.

"Kavis DuSat, he's rounded up some Resistance leftovers and carried out an attack against my troops on Arkanis last night. These Rebel fucks, they just won't quit. Should have killed every last one of them when I had the chance".

The Empress sat herself against the other armrest of the chair and ran her fingers thru his ginger hair, pushing it back from his forehead.

"You didn't know they would try and organize again" she softly stated, hoping to calm his frustrations some.

Hux pulled away from her touch, still clearly annoyed at the situation as he bent for the fallen papers, hastily grabbing them from the floor and tossing them back into the table.

"I don't make mistakes" he huffed to himself as he reorganized the mess on the table he had made.

The Empress stood from where she was sitting, figuring it out be best to leave him be. Making her way to a small bar cart in the corner of the lounge, she poured three fingers of whiskey into a glass. She walked back over to her husband and set the glass in front of him, a gesture that silently said to him she knew it was going to be a long night for him. She began making her way to their bedroom to leave him to work in peace.

"I'm sorry, my love".

The Empress turned at her husband's voice as she palmed the door open, glancing at him. Still hunched over in his chair, he had picked his head up from his work, his attention solely on her. He looked like a dejected child who was deeply regretful of his outburst. Smiling softly in acceptance of his apology, the Empress disappeared into the bedroom.

* * *

Nomi's words to Elara the day before still ate at her, echoing in her mind as she again worked in the kitchen, silently going thru her daily motions. Before she had left for work, she had noticed the dress that the Empress had given her still laying in the spot she had left it after the celebration. As Elara had readied herself for her day, it seemed to taunt her, a reminder of a life she would never return to. She had grabbed it in frustration from the chair and threw it into the back of her closet, the sapphire gown now nothing more then wrinkled fabric hidden away in the dark.

Two stormtroopers entered the kitchen, causing everyone to stop working immediately at their presence. Elara looked over her shoulder from the sink at the troopers, as in much of a stunned awe as everyone else in the room, never having seen troopers in the kitchens before, wondering what they were possibly doing there.

"Is there an Elara DuSat present?" One of the troopers asked, his voice metallic thru the modulator in his helmet.

Turning fully around, she took a step forward, all eyes now on her. Mind racing, she managed to weakly reply "Yes, I am".

"Come with us. The Emperor requires your presence" the trooper ordered.

Nomi's eyes followed Elara as she let the pan she was holding slip back into the sink of soapy water and made her way across the room. The older woman looked astounded, hardly believing that the lowly baker girl really had any connections to the Emperor, the rumors she had heard proofing to have some substance to them.

"Back to your duties" the second stormtrooper commanded to everyone else in the room, all still frozen in stunned silence.

Elara walked with the troopers, one on each side of her gripping their blasters tightly as they silently made their way thru the halls, ascending levels of the ship up to what seemed to be the vaguely familiar hallway of when the Empress had first taken her to her office.

The door opened in front of them, the trooper nudging her forward towards the Emperor who was seated at a large desk. The office looked much like the Empress', the same cold black and gray decorations adorning the space. The furniture was placed around the room in a similar fashion, the room seemed uninviting and frigid. Bowing before him, she could already feel the Emperor's icy gaze on her, sending a shiver thru her.

"As you were" he instructed to her, allowing for Elara to stand upright. "You are dismissed, troopers". The two stormtroopers that had brought her to the room bowed before turning and leaving the office.

The Emperor did not invite her to sit, despite the chairs that were placed before his desk. No offer of caf or gentle words that she shouldn't be so nervous came from him, Elara wishing that she was before the Empress once again instead of him. Every muscle in her body was tense, her arms freckled with goosebumps as she stood before him, trying to figure out what he could possibly want from her. His very presence was terrifying as she stood rigid.

"Are you close with your family?" The Emperor snapped.

"Not really. Not since I began working here".

Her answer did not seem to appease him much. "Do you still keep in contact with your brother?"

Elara stood silent. _My brother? How does the Emperor know about my brother?_ She had not spoken to her brother in years. The few times she had returned home since taking the job aboard the ship, her brother was rarely mentioned among her family.

One time, her aunt had come dinner. Fueled by too much wine, she had brought Kavis up, causing her father to pound his fist against the dinner table and storm from the room in a stomping rage. Elara never dared to question where her brother was, her mother always telling anyone outside of the family who asked about him a lie that he had a job working on a pipeline on a remote moon.

Her brother had always been a leader, and a rebel of sorts. He was suspended from elementary school for organizing students at recess, in what she could remember, he called "a strike against unfair amounts of homework". Leading his newly formed troop back into the classroom chanting "down with math, freedom from homework oppression", his resistance was quickly quelled by a teacher who drug him straight to the principal's office.

As they grew into their teenage years, she would often listen to her father and brother argue at the dinner table over politics, her brother questioning why their father worked for the Imperials. "It puts food on this table and a roof over your head" was always his response. Her father had always wanted to see his son join the Academy, put his natural leadership skills to work, make a name for himself and do better than he had in life.

The last she saw of her brother was the day her father found a box full of Resistance propaganda under Kavis' bed, screaming at him that he would knock his teeth out if he didn't get that filth out of his house. Her brother left in a fit of rage, her father bellowing at him from the front porch that he was no better than the scum he considered heroes. Her mother quietly cried as she sat at the kitchen table, knowing her son would never return.

"I have not seen my brother in years" Elara replied.

The Emperor studied her, his eyes searching her face for any hint of a lie. Finding nothing, he believed her, dismissing his initial thoughts that he might be dealing with a traitor on his own ship. He had been burned once before, and was cautious to never let such a thing happen again.

"Do you have any ideas where exactly he has been since you last saw him?"

"My mother tells people he works off world, but I don't know if there is much truth in that".

"I see" the Emperor pondered to himself.

Lieutenant Mitaka had sprinted from the control room, out of breath and panting by the time he reached the door of the Emperor's office. Ringing the chime, he waited impatiently for the Emperor to allow him to enter.

Mitaka quickly bowed, greeting the Emperor in his usual fashion. He was surprised to see a young girl standing before Hux, her body stiff and unmoving, pitying her if she was here to be reprimanded by the Emperor.

"What is it Lieutenant?" Hux asked, noticing that Mitaka was still attempting to catch his breath, his cheeks bright red and his brow dotted with beads of sweat.

Mitaka hesitated for a moment, glancing at Elara, unsure of how to exactly word his message, the information he need to report to the Emperor was highly classified and here was this strange girl standing in the Emperor's office with no explanation to him of who she was or if she could be trusted.

"Uh" Mitaka began to stammer, wondering how he could relay the necessary facts without breaking confidentiality. "We've interrupted a transmission...from the….issue….we've been dealing with that's umm...well... it's concerning".

"Spit it out Lieutenant, stop wasting my time and tell me what exactly is going on" Hux barked, causing Mitaka to jump slightly.

Mitaka glanced at Elara, who was now staring at the floor, her hands folded neatly in front of her. The Emperor had never asked him to divulge official information in front of a stranger before, uncomfortably shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"Kavis DuSat is threatening your life next, Emperor. We interrupted transmissions from him that he is planning an attack on your ship".

Elara's eyes shot up from the floor at the mention of her brother's name while still trying to keep her focus to herself, trying her best to not attract attention from either the Emperor or the nervous looking Lieutenant. She was dumbfounded that after years, the first she would hear anything about Kavis would be that he was attempting to kill the most powerful man in the galaxy.

The Emperor scoffed. "I would like to see him try. A small militia would not have the firepower to take on us"

Mitaka cleared his throat. "They are also threatening the Empress, sir".

"How much information do you have exactly on this threat?" Hux snapped at Mitaka, his tone instantly changing at the mention of his wife, demanding to know every last detail, for now the threat was truely personal. While he was mildly concerned at the threats made directly against him, his wife's life meant more to him than anything else in the galaxy.

"From the piece of his plans we have recovered, it appears that DuSat has more support and arms than we originally believed. The Resistance is still out there, laying low, but rebuilding and gaining strength once again".

Hux rested his elbows against his desk, pressing his fingertips together as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index fingers. Last night, he had figured he needed to quell a small uprising of an underfunded and unsupported militia and now he felt as though he was preparing for war against the Resistance all over again.

"Lieutenant, you are dismissed for now. Please return in 15 standard minutes and we will discuss things further" Hux ordered to Mitaka.

"Yes, Emperor" Mitaka responded, bowing gently before turning to leave the room.

Remaining silent as the Lieutenant's footsteps disappeared behind her, Elara picked her head up slightly, looking towards the Emperor. He seemed deep in thought, silence building between them as she stood waiting for him to address her again.

"Were you and your brother close growing up?" Hux asked, finally breaking the silence in the room. His mind already worked out a detailed scheme, hoping that the final pieces to his plan he needed stood before him in the form of a poor baker girl.

"When we were young, yes, we were. Things changed as we got older" Elara remarked, a certain sadness in her words.

"Do you think your brother would speak to you if given the chance?"

"I'm not sure" Elara replied, trying to imagine her brother now as a grown man. She still pictured him the lanky dark haired teenager that stormed off into the rain that fateful day years ago, never to return home again. Clearly he had acted on his rebellious nature, much more so than she could have ever imagined.

"Elara, do your allegiances lie solely in the Order?"

"Yes, Emperor".

"Then I'm going to need for you to help me". The Emperor had the bait to his trap, but could only wait and see if the prey would fall victim to it.


	5. Chapter 5

Elara opened the door of her quarters, ready to make her way to her duties in the kitchen as she would any other morning. She practically walked directly into a stormtrooper who was standing in the doorway, narrowly avoiding colliding directly into the chest of his white armor. Stopping in her tracks, she looked up at him, his expressionless mask staring back at her, unfazed by her clumsiness.

"The Emperor requires your presence" the masked trooper commanded to her as his fingers rested against his blaster.

"Yes, Sir" she responded, beginning to wish the Emperor had other ways of summoning her rather than sending troopers to surprise her at any moment.

Worried that Nomi would reprimand for her absence from work, she reluctantly followed the trooper thru the hallways of the ship, knowing she could not protest the orders. Nothing looked familiar to any place that she had been brought to before as they turned into a large room. This time, she was brought to the Bridge, a place she had only heard about in whispers between staff, never thinking she would find herself in it one day. Rows of officers in black uniforms sat before screens, working diligently as she passed above them on the long metal walkway thru the center of the room.

The trooper stopped before the Emperor, who was standing next to a young officer's station. Hux's hands were folded behind his back as he dismissed the trooper, leaving Elara alone in his presence. Saying nothing to her, she bowed silently in a respectful gesture to the Emperor's authority, his cold eyes only gracing over her for a moment before returning to the screen in front of the officer, studying the blue lines and dots as the officer worked.

"Frequency jammed, Emperor" the officer announced "Transmission will be untraceable. You are clear to proceed".

The officer removed his headset as he stood from his chair, passing it to Elara. Taking it with trembling fingers, she pushed her hair aside as she placed the headset over her ear and eased into the chair, her body stiff as she sat nervously at the edge of the seat. She could hear nothing but white noise hissing from the earpiece, taking a deep breath.

The Emperor had not been clear on when the transmission would take place in his meeting with her the day prior, but Elara had not expected it to be so soon. She knew what she was brought here to do, the Emperor clearly instructing her on his plan before dismissing her from his office. Thru the night, she had tossed and turned, sleep not coming to her for hours as she mulled over what she had agreed to, hardly imagining in a few hours she would be sitting here carrying out the plan.

"Kavis?" Elara quietly asked into the headset, the static of the frequency popping and crackling as she waited for a response.

"Elara?" a deep baritone voice responded thru the static, hardly how she remembered her brother sounding the last time she had spoken to him.

"Yes" she managed to reply, a thousand different emotions hitting at once, knowing that somewhere in the galaxy, her brother was speaking to her after years apart.

"Little sister! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine". Elara felt the officer and Emperor hovering over her, both staring intently at her as she carried on the conversation, the screen above her blinking a flurry of lights and colors as it recorded every word of the transmission. It made her nervous, trying to ignore it all as she continued. "It's been a long time".

"It has. How is mom?" Kavis asked, Elara noting that he made no mention of their father or concern of his well being.

"She's okay, last I heard".

"Where are you these days?"

The question stopped Elara, at a lost of words of how to respond. Obviously, she could not tell her brother the truth. Looking up from the officer's station at the Emperor, her eyes pleaded with him for the correct answer, unsure of how to respond, hardly expecting the question to be raised in conversation.

"Arkanis" Hux mouthed to her silently, feeding her the answer he wished for her to give.

"Still planetside" she lied. "I miss you. Come home?"

"Elara, I can't do that" Kavis replied, a sadness hinted at in his words.

"Please, brother? It's been so long". A long pause followed her request, the static and crackle filling in the silence.

Hux was impressed at the charm Elara was working on her brother, pleasantly surprised that the young girl was carrying out the conversation so smoothly for the most part, aside from the one hiccup. He had coached her briefly the day prior in his office after she agreed to his plan, what to say and how to respond, but he never thought she would so naturally take to it.

"Okay" Kavis' deep voice broke thru the transmission, agreeing to his sister's wishes.

The operator reached past Elara as he tapped against the screen, clearing the transmission as Elara removed the headset, passing it back to him as she rose from the chair, letting the officer return to his station.

"Well done" the Emperor declared, pleased that his plan was shaping up exactly as how he had envisioned it to. "You are relieved of your duties for the time being, return to your quarters for the day. We will leave for Arkanis in the morning. You are dismissed".

"Thank you, Emperor".

* * *

The Empress had almost finished the novel she had been reading over the past few days, sitting in her favorite chair in the lounge as she awaited her husband's return from his duties. Millicent had taken to the ledge of the window, jumping up onto it before curling up to snooze with the backdrop of space behind her, paying little mind to the vast expanse as she wrapped her tail around her body and purred contently to herself.

Hux had returned around his normally scheduled time, a sign to the Empress that things may be returning to normal. He had no work under his arm, another good sign, she thought to herself as he removed his boots and made his way to the lounge, kissing her forehead gently before sitting in his own chair. Seemingly in a pleasant mood, he relaxed back into the chair as he crossed his leg over his other.

"You seem in better spirits today" the Empress remarked as she set her data pad aside, focusing her attention on her husband.

"Things are going as I need them to, for now at least. I do need to attend to some business on Arkanis in the morning".

"How long will you be gone for?" The Empress asked, her face falling at the fact he needed to leave.

"Hopefully just the day".

The server droid bringing dinner interrupted them, shuffling its way into the lounge and setting a tray onto the table. The Empress had instructed for a bottle of wine to be sent with dinner, figuring her husband might return again in a sour mood. The droid poured both a glass before leaving the quarters.

"A toast, my love?" Hux asked, raising his glass, the wine now a drink of celebration rather than condolence.

"To what?" The Empress, taking her own glass into her hand as she looked at her husband with a puzzled expression on her face. He was in anything but an unpleasant mood, whatever events regarding the Arkanis attack he dealt with today had gone in his favor.

"To hopefully everything going as planned tomorrow. And for my lovely wife finding the key piece to my plan".

The Empress was confused by his words, unwilling to clink her glass against his quite yet as she processed what he had said.

"The key to your plan? Are you talking about Elara?" She lowered her glass, setting it back on the table as she narrowed her emerald eyes at him.

"She's proved more useful than just her baking skills" the Emperor chided before taking a sip of his wine, the look his wife giving him hinting that celebratory toast wasn't going to happen.

"You are using that poor girl against her own brother?"

Setting his glass down on the table, Hux began to feel anger rising in his chest. He hated nothing more than his methods to be questioned. "That girl's brother wants both of us dead! She was the best thing that could have happened to us in order for me to rid the galaxy of the piece of shit!"

"She is innocent in this and you are dragging her into something she doesn't belong in!" the Empress shot back.

"You are dragging yourself into something you don't belong in! If she is part of the Order and stands with us, then it is something she is part of! Do not question my methods or my work. There are many things you do not know" he warned to her, his voice harsh and commanding, a tone he rarely ever spoke to the Empress in.

The Empress stood from her chair, unwilling to fight with him any longer. Casting a long glare at him, she made her way from the lounge, her long gown fluttering behind her as she disappeared silently into their bedroom.

Hux grabbed his wine once again, draining the glass in a single gulp out of sheer frustration. Anyone else who dared question him the way his wife just had would have already met the end of a blaster, but he would never dare to do such a thing to her. He loved her too deeply, even if she spoke her mind on things she had no place in doing so.

* * *

Elara had been summoned early the next morning, a trooper meeting her at her quarters in a much gentler fashion than the prior day. He had knocked at her door and waited patiently in silence as she collected a long cape and a few items into a small bag for the journey to Arkanis before leading her to a waiting shuttle in the docking bay. Sitting in silence, she wondered how long the flight would take, as she did not even know what sector of the Galaxy they were currently in, information that was never disclosed to a commoner such as herself. The Emperor had boarded shortly after her, wordlessly sitting across from her and almost instantly becoming engrossed in his data pad, working on a matter that was of no concern to her. Not daring to address him, she played with the hemline of her skirt as she felt felt the shuttle lift from the ground before swiftly taking off into space.

The journey had been shorter than she expected, her home world was now looming in front of them, the planet a large swirl of grey and green. Her heart ached as she watched it come closer into view, knowing her brother was somewhere beneath the cloudy atmosphere, the reality of what she was about to do causing her stomach to knot as the ship began its descent.

Arkanis greeted them with overcast skies and a steady rain, nothing that surprised Elara as it was common weather for her home world. She had few memories of sunny days, a rarity on the planet. The Emperor switched off his data pad and finally broke the silence between them as the ship landed with a small bump on the ground.

"You are to sit at the far corner table once you enter the cantina. Speak to no one. Your brother should be arriving shortly, if things go as planned. You are to act natural. Do not react to anything that happens, understood?"

"Yes, Emperor".

Pulling the hood of her cloak over her head to shield herself from the rain, Elara began her walk towards the cantina. The unassuming building was only a few blocks down narrow streets from the ship but seemed as though it was thousands of parsecs away. Her mind screamed at her that she shouldn't be doing this, to go as far away from this place as possible. Keeping her head low, she continued as she was instructed to do so, knowing if she ran, there would be nowhere in the Galaxy to hide safely from the Emperor. The Order would find her eventually, she had pledged her allegiance to him and deserting the Emperor's orders would certainly be a kiss of death.

The dim lighting of the cantina made the room as bleak as the weather outside. Elara made her way as she was instructed to a table in the far corner, slipping into a low wooden chair. Taking a look around the room, it was as nondescript as the building itself. A few patrons sat along a long wooden bar chatting among themselves, minding their own business. She removed the hood to her cloak, smoothing down her hair as she sat and waited for her brother, nervously tapping her feet against the floor underneath the table.

A tall man entered the cantina, casually walking into the room, unsuspecting of anything. She hardly recognized him at first, the once lanky teenager she remembered him being was now a broad chested man dressed in a brown nerf leather jacket. A blaster was strapped to his leg over black pants that disappeared into tall boots. Shaking his dark hair free of the dampness from the rain, he pushed it back from his eyes as he scanned the room for a familiar face, instantly recognizing his little sister in the corner. Taking long strides as a grin spread across his face, Kavis reached the table quickly, pulling Elara from her seat and into his arms, hugging her tightly.

"Little sister!" He exclaimed as she was lost in his embrace, her small body enveloped in his now muscular arms.

"Kavis!" she mumbled into his chest, at a loss that she was really in his arms, the whole moment seeming unreal to her. She never thought she would actually see him again, the emotions she had felt when first hearing his voice over the transmission were now swirling inside of her tenfold.

Letting her go, he held her shoulders for a moment, looking at her. "You've grown up"

"So have you" she replied.

Both sat down at the table, Kavis making himself comfortable as he stretched one of his long legs out onto the chair next to him, resting his boot against the seat. The guilt inside of Elara boiled over as she watched her brother casually sprawled out across from her, knowing at any moment he would be arrested by the Order, not sure exactly how long they had together. The Emperor had not told her specifics of the plan past his instructions before leaving the ship. Where the stormtroopers were hiding, waiting to pounce on her brother or what they would do to him once detained all were still a mystery to her.

"What have you been up to, little sister? Surely you've gotten a job or something?" Kavis asked as he mentally calculated her age. _She's 25 now? When did that happen?_ He was curious about his sister's life now, wondering what she had done over the years, anxious to fill the void left between them.

"Just in a kitchen. It's nothing special" she replied, a half truth that pained her to say to him.

Out of nowhere, stormtroopers seemed to pour out of every corner of the small cantina, swiftly surrounding the table. Blasters drawn and pointing directly at Kavis, both of them were taken by surprise.

"Hands up!" A trooper ordered to Kavis, motioning his blaster upwards in the direction he wished to see the man's arms go.

Powerless and surrounded, Kavis shifted to sit up in his seat and rose his arms in defeat, looking towards Elara in disbelief of what was happening. Noticing that the troopers did not order the same of her, he quickly figured out what was going on. His own sister was part of this, nothing more than bait in a trap for him.

Two troopers pulled Kavis from his seat, restraining his arms behind him as they forced him to his feet. A trooper reached for the hostler against his leg, yanking the blaster free from it. Kavis writhed against the troopers hold on his arms, his shoulders straining to break free of their grasp before going loose, knowing he was powerless against them. Instead of fighting, he focused on his little sister standing before him, her small body frozen in fear.

"Elara...how could you?" Kavis demanded, an anguished look in his eyes and complete disbelief in his words.

"I'm sorry" she whispered as the troopers began to drag her brother away, breaking the Emperor's orders of no reaction, too heartbroken to see her brother pounced upon and restrained to remain silent thru it.

A stormtrooper took hold of her arm, his firm grasp squeezing her as he began to pull her. "Move along" he ordered as her feet began to move with the trooper pulling her to the exit of the cantina and back towards the awaiting ship.

* * *

Kavis was placed in another part of the shuttle for the return to the main ship, away from Elara and the Emperor. She felt powerless as the shuttle lifted from the ground, her heart heavy as the sight of her brother restrained flashed thru her mind over and over again. _How could I have done this to him?_

"Well done, Elara" the Emperor congratulated to her. His expression was still harsh, but she couldn't help to notice a small curl at the edge of his mouth, the closest thing she had ever seen resembling a smile from him. Clearly proud of himself, her insides burned with anger towards him as she looked at him in silence. She wanted to burst out at him, scream at him to let her brother go, that she regretted ever agreeing to help such a ruthless, soulless person as himself.

"Did you not hear me? You reply when I address you" Hux snapped, any trace of smile gone from his expression:

"I'm sorry, Emperor" she meekly replied, pushing back her frustrations, knowing it would be in her best interest to stay on his good side.

Left to her own thoughts for the remainder of the journey, Elara was thankful when the Emperor had dismissed her immediately upon their return. Her cheeks were hot as she quickly made her way from the hanger, thru the twists and turns of the ship's hallways, finally reaching her quarters.

Elara flung herself into her small bed, burying her face into her pillow as she heaved heavy sobs into it. She had held them back for so long, they poured out of her in a tidal wave now that she was behind closed doors, away from the piercing glare of the Emperor. Tears dampening the pillowcase in large wet spots, she cried harder than she had cried in her entire life. _I betrayed my own brother. Whatever his political views, whatever he had gotten himself into, his still my flesh and blood and now he's at the hands of the Emperor._ She had pledged her allegations to the Emperor, telling him directly to his face that she supported to the Order, but she was wracked with guilt with having gone thru with the Emperor's plan. She hated herself for giving into the fear the he ruled with, unable to say no to any of his wishes. Her brother's look as the storm troopers surrounded him haunted her, flashing before her eyes again as they had on the ship as she buried her face deeper into her pillows, trying to block the vision out of her mind. _What have I done?_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Warnings:** Violence and some language. Just a heads up. _

* * *

Kavis was dragged from the shuttle, two stormtroopers firmly holding his arms, his wrists uncomfortably bound behind him in a set of thick metal restraints. He took in his new surroundings as the troopers lead him along. He had been taken to an Order ship, a large one at that, the cold and unwelcoming halls all blurring together in an endless expanse of polished durasteel.

They finally stopped, now on the detention level. One troopers' radio crackled as a transmission came over the frequency, the heavy metal door in front of them opening as both troopers pushed Kavis forwards into a small holding cell. His body hit against the floor with a thud, his arms unable to reach out to break his fall as they were still bound behind his back. A trooper stepped behind him, jerking his shoulders back as he unfastened the restraints, his hands falling free of them to his sides.

"Right where the scum belongs" one of the troopers remarked, looking down at Kavis' crumpled form on the floor as they backed away from him towards the doorway, the door to the cell hissing shut behind them.

Pushing himself up, Kavis' arms ached from being fastened behind him for so long. The room was bare other than a low metal bench against the far wall. Kavis weakly stood for a moment before collapsing back onto it, the cold steel uncomfortable under him, unsure of what was to become of him next. Pulling his arm up, he rested his head against it, the leather of his jacket cold against his cheek. There was little else he could do other than wait to see his fate and wonder how long he would be kept here.

* * *

Thru parted eyelashes, Kavis awoke, hardly remembering falling asleep, the hard steel underneath him and the dull ache pulsing thru his body reminded him quickly of where he was. A tall man with ginger hair stood before him in a black Order uniform, his arms pressed to his sides as he glared down at him. He was flanked by two stormtroopers gripping their blasters tightly, both resting fingers on the triggers as if any moment they would be commanded to fire them.

"Get up!" Hux snapped towards Kavis as he lifted his leg and pushed his boot against his shoulder, the tip of it digging into his joint causing a surge of pain to rush thru him.

Picking his head up from the bench, Kavis slowly blinked, his senses coming to him fully, realizing it was the Emperor who stood before him.

"What do you want?" Kavis asked, annoyed by the rude awakening and prodding. He pushed himself up to a sitting position, his head pounding.

Hux looked down at him with disgust. "You stand and bow when you are before me!"

"I would never" Kavis hissed thru his teeth at Emperor, steadfastly remaining seated.

The stormtrooper to the left of Hux raised his blaster, intending to strike Kavis across the face for his blatant insubordination and disrespect towards the Emperor. Hux grabbed a hold of the trooper's arm, preventing him from continuing.

"Stop. This is between him and I, understood? This is personal". Hux released the trooper's arm as he lowered his blaster. "Both of you, wait outside the door for me".

"Yes, Sir" the troopers replied, obeying the orders as they turned and made their way out of the cell.

Hux stepped towards Kavis, clicking his boots together as he towered above the prisoner. "Thought you could attack my troops and get away with it?" Hux sneered at Kavis.

"They deserved it".

Hux scoffed, his expression as if there was a foul stench in the room. "And now I hear you next little plan included my wife and I dead? You are disgusting".

"I want everyone in your Order dead" Kavis hissed back, his fingers gripping the edge of the bench tightly, his knuckles turning white, unwilling to finch from his beliefs.

"Including your sister? She swore her undying allegiance to me and my Order" Hux taunted to him, his voice sinister.

"You're piece of shit for manipulating her in the ways you have".

"And you are nothing but leftover Resistance scum I should have wiped out along with your leaders" Hux roared back. Unwilling to fight with him any longer, he reached into his great coat, drawing out a small blaster that was tucked inside an interior pocket. He raised it towards Kavis' forehead, pressing the cold metal against his brow.

Kavis swallowed, his throat dry as the muzzle of the blaster dug against his forehead. He kept thinking of Elara, despite her betrayal, she would always be the little sister he loved more than anything. Concerned for her, he looked into the Emperor's eyes, the piercing blue cutting thru him.

"Your reign will not last forever. The Resistance is stronger than you think" Kavis warned.

"You are a foolish man with even more foolish ideals" Hux sneered as he clicked the safety off, disgusted at the mention of the Resistance.

"I don't care what you do to me, just don't ever hurt Elara" Kavis demanded, his voice low and threatening.

Hux's pointer finger hovered over the trigger, debating if he should pull it before promising this man anything. Unsure of why he was hesitating so long, he looked back into the man's eyes. Pupils wide, Kavis' dark eyes stared back him unflinching despite having a charged weapon pressed against him. He saw no fear in them, something he had never seen before in someone about to die at his hands.

"Your sister will be safe" Hux confided to him. Elara was hardly a concern of his anymore. He had gotten what he wanted from her, it was now sitting in front of him, his plan had worked out exactly as he had hoped it would.

A look of content washed over Kavis' face as he took in a long breath, his eyes closing as he awaited the inevitable. He was not afraid, he knew that the Resistance would one day would regain power of the galaxy. If this is how it would all end for him, so be it. It was better than being held for weeks or years in the cell, wondering if each day was his last or not.

Hux pulled the trigger, firing a single shot that rang out against the walls of the small holding cell. Kavis' body slumped before his feet, blood pooling out from his wound onto the metallic floor, collecting around his lifeless body. The Emperor took a step back to avoid any of the blood getting onto his boots as he studied crumpled man in front of him for a moment before turning on his heel to exit the cell, tucking away his blaster as he did so.

"Dispose of him" Hux ordered to the two stormtroopers who were still waiting in the hall as they were instructed to. Brushing past them, his great coat fluttered behind him as he walked, his steps echoing thru the hallway of the ship as he made his way from the detention level.

Instead of returning to his normal duties on the Bridge, Hux made his way back to his private quarters. Palming the door open, he was greeted with a silent room and no sign of the Empress. Removing his great coat and boots in his typical fashion, Millicent jumped down from her spot on the window ledge and trotted over to greet him. Petting her behind her ear, she let out a small meow at Hux as he made his way to the bottle of whiskey that sat atop the bar cart in the corner of the lounge. Pouring himself a glass of the amber liquor, he recapped the bottle and set it aside before making his way to his chair in his lounge. Taking a long sip, he eased back into the seat, crossing his leg over his knee. Swirling the whiskey in his glass, he stared at the liquid moving in a circle before him, pondering on the day's events. He had never promised anything to anyone, let alone to someone whose mission was to kill him, his luck so having it that he had the chance to kill him first. Hux was not a man of remorse, his nature was unforgiving and cold, unable to feel sorry for anyone who did not share the same ideals as him or the Order. No guilt weighed on him as he took a long sip of his drink, letting the amber liquid slide down his throat, warming his body. If anything, he was content in the fact that his problems were solved, a small hope that his Empire could run undisturbed for the time being.

The Empress palmed the door open to the quarters, surprised to see her husband's coat and boots already resting in their respected places near the door.

"What are you doing home?" she asked, setting down her data pad on a nearby table as she made her way into the lounge. Hux picked his head up from his glass and looked towards his wife. They had not spoken since their disagreement before he left for Arkanis. He had left their quarters before she had woken that morning, only placing a small kiss against her cheek before slipping out the door.

"There is nothing for me to attend to at the moment" he replied calmly, not sure if they were still in a disagreement or not from the day previous.

The Empress noticed the drink in his hand, an uncharacteristic thing for her husband to be having a glass of whiskey when usually he would be engrossed in work at this hour. Making her way to him, she rested against the arm of his chair. Pushing back his ginger hair, her fingers slipped thru it, loosening it from it's rigid style. "Is something troubling you?"

"Nothing is troubling me" he coolly replied, hardly wishing for another exchange of heated words with her.

The Empress knew him, the actual Hux. Not just the harsh exterior and unflinching expressions he projected to everyone else, but the man beyond all of that. Something had occurred while he was away, she could see in his eyes and hear it in his tone of voice.

Taking her hand into his, he took it to his lips and kissed the back of her hand softly. "My love, we are safe for now. I'm just enjoying a rare moment of peace".

The Empress looked into her husband's eyes as she thought about what his words truly meant. Pulling her hand from his fingers, she shifted her weight on the armrest, turning herself to face him fully. "You killed him" she bluntly stated.

While she had stood beside him as he ordered for the destruction of entire systems, watching as streaks of red crossed the sky before crashing into planets as millions of voices cried out. It was rare for him to actually get his hands dirty, usually finding it more effective to just order someone to attend to the business that needed taking care of. He had taken the threat against them very personally if he had attended to the matter himself.

"What will become of Elara?" the Empress quietly asked.

"She will return to her duties. She has proven her loyalty to me, I trust that she will speak to no one about this. She has served the Order well".

"You are just going to pretend that nothing happened with her?" The Empress questioned, knowing her husband had no remorse, his only object was to protect them and the Order. Elara had completed her task she was asked of, but the Empress couldn't help to think of the poor girl and what her husband might have put her thru in order to get his hands on Kavis.

"She will know nothing of her brother's fate. Kavis DuSat was a threat and needed to be done away with".

"She is not one of your troopers. She was not programmed to have no emotion. That was still her brother" she countered.

Hux uncrossed his legs and looked at his wife. Her unrelenting concern for Elara was now beginning to get on his nerves. He wondered to himself why he had even bothered to share any of his plan with her in the first place. His work was none of her business. "Would you rather he have killed us instead? Taken you prisoner? Tortured you? I would rather die myself than see you in the hands of the Resistance"

The Empress sat in silence, knowing that he was correct. She was considered just as much as a threat to the Resistance as her husband was, even if hers was purely by association. While her hands were clean of any blood, she still was loyal to him and the Order. She stood from the chair, unwilling to sit idly by as her husband used Elara and tossed her back to her duties. Even if she did not know her brother's fate, the Empress felt horrible that Elara would be left questioning it, forced to pretend that nothing happened as she continued to serve them.

Hux watched as she began towards the door of their quarters. "Where are you going?" he shouted at her, his annoyance mounting that he was loosing control of the situation.

"Elara cannot stay here. I will not let her" The Empress snapped back at him over her shoulder.

"You do not have control over my ship or my staff!" Hux roared as he rose from his chair, taking long strides to catch up to her, his anger boiling inside of him that she dared to take this matter into her own hands.

"You cannot treat everyone as if they are unaffected and emotionless as you or your troops!" she yelled as she reached for the reader to palm the door open.

Hux grabbed a hold of her wrist, pulling her hand from the reader and twisting her around, her skirt swirling as her body quickly snapped in the opposite direction. Grasping a hold of her other wrist, Hux shoved her backwards, her back slamming into the wall as her breath knocked from her lungs upon the impact. Holding her wrists above her he pinned her against the wall. Unable to move, his strength overpowered her small body. His face was inches from hers, his fingernails digging into her flesh as he held her, his eyes glaring into hers.

"I killed him to protect us and this is how you repay me?" Hux snarled at her.

"Let go of me" she demanded, attempting to break free of his grasp, straining against his hold. While they had disagreements before, they had never been taken this personally by him and he had never dared to lay his hands on her.

"I'm questioning your loyalty to the Order right now, Empress, something I never thought I would do" he hissed at her, his voice low and angry. "How dare you disobey me?"

The Empress said nothing to him as she glared at him, Hux's cold eyes ablaze with rage as he looked back at her.

"Answer me! You have never questioned me before this girl crossed our paths. Why do you now take it so personally? Is your allegiance faltering?" Hux yelled as he jerked her by her wrists, lifting her body from the wall for a moment before slamming it back harder, hardly thinking in the heat of the moment that this was his wife he was treating in this manner.

Her shoulder blades ached from the impact against the cold durasteel, her breath hitching in her chest.

"Swear to me. Swear to me that you stand beside me and the Order! I would not hesitate to remove you just as I did to any others who have stood in my way!" he warned to her.

"You wouldn't dare" she coolly spoke, her voice unwavering towards him.

Silence fell between them, Hux collecting himself at her words. The rush of power and anger he had inflicted on her began to fade away. His grasp on her wrists loosened as he released his restraint on her, letting her arms fall to her sides as he stepped back from her. She rubbed her wrists as she stood against the wall. He noticed how red and scuffed they were from him, a stark contrast to her pale skin. Her emerald eyes remained unflinching at she looked at him.

"No, my love, I wouldn't dare" he admitted, knowing that he could never bring himself to do such a thing. A flood of guilt washed over him as he looked at her. His desire for control had taken over him and he had done exactly what he had always said he would never do to her, which was treat her as anything less than his equal. He had laid his hands on the woman he loved more than anything, an unforgivable action to him, immediately regretting letting his anger get the best of him.

"I have stood beside you thru a war, thru politics and thru everything else this galaxy has thrown at us. How dare you question my allegiance to you?" she shot at him, her voice biting. She did not fear him, even after his outburst at her.

Hux faltered for a second. His wife was correct, he had no place to question anything of her.

"Go to her" he whispered.

* * *

A loud knock at the door rattled thru Elara's small quarters, causing her to pick her head up from the pillows. She had hardly moved since her return from Arkanis, her tears long running out as she remained in bed starting at the ceiling, her body and mind now numb. Pulling herself from her bed, she prayed that it was not another trooper coming to take her to the Emperor. Palming the door open, she was shocked to see the Empress standing before her. Her stomach felt heavy as she bowed . The Empress hardly noticed her required greeting as she brushed past into Elara's room, shutting the door behind her.

"Pack your things" the Empress demanded to her.

Not waiting for the usual required dismissal, Elara stood upright. "But, Empress, my work is here. My life is here" Elara protested, unsure of what exactly was going on.

"Not anymore".

"Are you dismissing me?" she meekly asked.

The Empress said nothing in response. She held a small velvet bag that she handed to her. It was heavy in her hand as Elara took it from the Empress. "This is for your service to the Order" the Empress instructed.

Judging by the weight, there was more credits than Elara would have earned in years working aboard the ship sitting in her hands. She shifted the bag in her grasp uneasily. She was being paid off, the credits meant to keep her content as she was to forget her role in what had happened, frustration rising in her.

"Where is my brother?" Elara demanded to the Empress. She was unwilling to accept them. She wanted answers, unable to return home with a lifetime of unanswered questions weighing on her.

"Your brother had to pay for his transgressions against the Order. The Emperor does not take kindly to ones who attack his troops or threaten his life".

"How can you love a man who would do such a thing?" Elara shouted, hardly caring what repercussions could come of it, her anger no longer able to be silenced or contained. The shock of her brother dying flooded over her as tears welled in her eyes, her face hot with vexation. _It's my fault Kavis ended up in the Emperor's hands in the first place. You played a part in his death._ Her mind reminded her, a thousand different emotions coursing thru her veins.

"My relationship is of no concern to you" The Empress stated, watching Elara unravel before her.

"You lay with a man who kills people with no mercy, who doesn't think twice about taking out entire systems because they stand in his way!" Elara screamed, all of her hatred she had contained towards the Emperor on the shuttle unleashing itself from her small body, the Empress now taking the brunt of it for him.

"Watch your tongue, Elara" the Empress warned, never having heard someone speak to her so far out of turn.

"I thought you were different. If you would have never come to me, none of this would have happened!"

"I did not come to you with intentions of all of this. I do not try to involve myself in my husband's work, for it is not usually my place to. I spoke up for you, against how he was using you in the matter he did. I'm sorry that things ended this way". The Empress pulled at the sleeves of her gown, covertly covering the red marks that still remained on her wrists.

Elara wrestled with herself, her brother was dead at the hands of the Emperor yet his wife had protected and spoke up for her. "Thank you for speaking out for me, but I cannot forgive the Emperor for what he did and I cannot accept these credits". She passed the velvet bag back to the Empress, a sense of calm coming over her as the weight of them released from her hands.

"I understand. I hope you do not hold hard feelings against me".

"I don't. You only wished for a cake and stumbled upon me. I made certain choices myself that I cannot blame you for" Elara sighed as she gazed down at the floor.

The Empress looked at Elara, wishing she could pull her into an embrace, to calm her and comfort her. The poor girl had only done what was asked of her, following orders without question and now was left with something that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Picking her head up, Elara knew that the Empress had come to her quarters with the best intentions. She did not want to stay on the ship any longer, knowing that it was no longer an environment she wished to be in. "I want to go home".

"As you wish" the Empress replied.


End file.
